Comparing revenue to expenses shows how the organizations finances fluctuate over time.

Source: IRS Form 990

Breakdown

Net Gain/Loss: in

Data not available

Note: When component data are not available, the graph displays the total Revenue and/or Expense values.

Statements

Mission StatementHelping children and families achieve a lifetime of success.

Background Statement

The Family Conservancy traces its roots to the 1880 founding of the Provident Association at the old Coates House hotel in downtown Kansas City. Our founders were local business leaders who were increasingly concerned about the the influx of poor, jobless families and growing vagrancy. The Provident Society created jobs for men in a fuel yard and its Ladies’ Aid delivered food to women and children living in poverty.

By the 1960s, The Family Conservancy was providing mental health services in the central city, the Northland, Eastern Jackson County and Johnson County, Kansas. We served as an adoption agency in the 1980s, created work-life balance initiatives as women entered the workforce in large numbers, and became a Child Care Resource and Referral agency. In 1988, we merged with the similar Wyandotte County family service agency to form Heart of America Family Services, now The Family Conservancy.

Today we are a leader in supporting families to prepare their children for a lifetime of success. Programs have changed over the years as family and societal needs have evolved, yet our mission to strengthen families and children is constant.

Impact Statement

The Family Conservancy (TFC) has been serving families in Greater Kansas City since 1880. Programs have adapted to meet evolving familial and societal needs, yet our goal to strengthen families and help children is constant. In 2016, TFC served over 75,000 children and families, over 6,000 monthly, with the resources and tools needed to create brighter futures for their children. Agency success is illustrated by our many recent accomplishments:

TFC is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA), a nationally recognized, independent accreditor of community-based social service organizations. TFC has been accredited through COA since the 1980s, a process which involves a third-party evaluation of the agency’s programs against best practice standards. COA reviews agencies every four years. TFC received reaccreditation in June 2017.

TFC hires an independent accounting firm to conduct an annual audit of agency financials. For the past 16 years, including the most recent audit, TFC's annual audit has presented no findings, indicating our agency is financially well managed.

Our two annual fundraisers, Brew for Books and the Blue Carpet Event, were both successful in illustrating our impact to sold out crowds.

In 2016, our Clinical Department’s Spanish services were expanded by increasing our bilingual clinical staff and hiring an additional play therapist. Furthermore, to improve mental health services to some of our youngest clients, we have grown our play therapy services where children learn more adaptive behaviors through play. Through grant funding, our Wyandotte County clinical office was remodeled and clinicians are now providing play therapy in a comfortable environment. Additionally, our Jackson County clinical office moved to a new, larger space, located in the Blue Ridge Tower Building in Kansas City, allowing for the addition of a play therapy room and overall expansion.

Needs Statement

Resources are needed to:

Raise unrestricted dollars to ensure the highest quality of service is provided to vulnerable children and families.

Identify funds to cover infrastructure needs to increase service to clients.

Expand volunteer program and volunteers by developing and growing meaningful volunteer opportunities within the agency in collaboration with community stakeholders such as businesses, faith-based organizations, seniors and youth.

Increase awareness about The Family Conservancy’s impact on children, families and the community and the programs we offer.

Leverage technology to more effectively serve children and families.

Service Categories

Family Services

Counseling

Areas of Service

MO - Jackson County

MO - Clay County

MO - Platte County

KS - Wyandotte County

KS - Johnson County

MO - Eastern Jackson Co

MO - Jackson County Urban Core

KS - Wyandotte County Urban Core

MO - Ray County

KS - Leavenworth County

CEO/Executive Director/Board Chair Statement

Members of The Family Conservancy’s supporters and board of directors frequently applaud the agency for our ability to meet families’ needs--in all stages. Our services are comprehensive, which allows our organization to collaborate and refer for services internally and be the premier experts in Kansas City for matters concerning children and families.The Family Conservancy board, which represents communities throughout the metro area, is passionate about our mission to invest in the future of children and families. Directors are keenly aware of our role as stewards of the public trust in our philanthropic work. We believe the key to effective management is having the right people in place and supporting their initiatives to advance the mission. The board advises and empowers staff leadership to successfully navigate environmental changes as well as to explore promising new service models to heighten community impact. Together, board and staff ensure that our programs are financially sound and that new opportunities are actively pursued to support families raising children. Strong systems have been established for outcomes evaluation and continuous quality improvement. Program assessment involves feedback from consumers and review by the board. The board’s expectation is for management to think and act strategically. We are committed to our mission and to delivering solution-oriented service that sustains our tradition of excellence. We are eager to engage others who share our vision of bright futures for families and children.

The greatest challenge we face as an organization is fully funding the programs and services that are key to our mission. Unrestricted and multi-year commitments are key to our success and help to make us flexible in times of need, but those opportunities are not as abundant as they could be. Our staff work diligently to aggregate funding to cover our costs while delivering impactful and evidence-based interventions. We rely on our individual donors and gifts from our board in order to supplement programs which experience limited funding.

Agency programs that provide resources for families and individuals to prevent child abuse and neglect, reduce crime and victimization, and keep at-risk children in school include:

Healthy Parents, Healthy Kids

Student Assistance Program

Dame la Mano

Mental Health Counseling, Therapy and Group Support

Moving Beyond Depression

Program Budget$2,207,098.00

CategoryHuman Services, General/Other Children & Youth Services

Population ServedFamilies, Adults,

Short-Term Success

95% of new Latina moms participating in the Dame la Mano Program will recognize the importance of accessing prenatal health care, reducing premature delivery; 80% of students in the Student Assistance Program will have regular school attendance and grades reflecting serious effort; 50% of people receiving mental health treatment reduce feelings of depression and/or anxiety; those experiencing abuse will gain knowledge of domestic abuse and develop a safety plan.

Long-Term SuccessChildren in our community will grow up in strong, healthy homes with the tools they need to be free from violence and abuse. They will have all they need to enter school ready to learn.

Program Success Monitored ByOutcomes are tracked utilizing a mix of assessment surveys, pre-post test and individual case files. Outcomes measures are collected by program staff and monitored by program directors and agency leadership. Programs are evaluated annually by the Board of Directors for efficiency and efficacy.

Examples of Program SuccessAn example of the success of our programs that help high-risk children: Tanesha is seventeen with an eleven month old son. She has been in and out of different foster care homes and residential institutions since she was four years old. Although Tanesha has established a relationship with her biological mother, that relationship is strained and unreliable due to her mother’s drug abuse. Tanesha has limited financial resources and emotional support. The monthly stipend that she receives from The Student Assistance Program helps her to better provide for herself and her son. In addition, the regular visits with the SAP Case Manager provide Tanesha with ongoing support and positive mentoring. Since Tanesha has been in the program, she has established relationships with other community agencies in order to receive services. She has moved into her own apartment with her son and has obtained a part-time job down the street.

Agency programs that provide resources to help families and child care providers to improve skills and quality of early learning environments, ensuring children are entering school ready to learn, include:

Quality Initiatives

Professional Development for Early Educators

Early Childhood Mental Health

Head Start and Early Head Start

Child Care Resource and Referral

Child and Adult Care Food Program

Program Budget$8,188,293.00

CategoryHuman Services, General/Other Children & Youth Services

Population ServedChildren and Youth (0 - 19 years), ,

Short-Term SuccessQuality Initiatives will increase the number of accredited early learning/child care centers in our community; 80% of the child care providers/teachers participating in Early Solutions will report a reduction in the presenting classroom problem or issue; working parents will have access to finding quality, affordable child care; parents gain knowledge of positive parenting practices.

Long-Term Success

Children have access to strong early learning programs and enter school prepared to succeed.

Program Success Monitored ByIndividual program success data is collected by staff and monitored by Program Directors and agency leadership. The Board of Directors evaluates all programs annually for efficiency and efficacy.

Examples of Program SuccessAn example of success in our programs that help communities raise successful children can be seen here: Recently, a child care program has been struggling with helping new children transition into the program. The director and staff from The Family Conservancy were able to discuss and reflect on some possible reasons for the difficulty, such as first-time care outside the home and separation anxiety, a change in schedules and routines, and a classroom environment perhaps lacking "cozy spaces" where children could go, within the supervision of the teachers, to be by themselves until they are ready to re-join the group. Our staff was able to demonstrate to the director different strategies to help children who are upset to calm down and engage in the classroom activities with peers. In this instance, everyone wins: the children will be more likely to feel safe and valued and to learn; families will feel confident in their child care choice; and programs will be able to keep these families involved, reducing family turnover rates. Consistent, quality early learning environments provide positive support to children and their families and help to prepare children to be successful in school and life.

CEO CommentsSpurred by a growing body of research about early brain development and social-emotional development, The Family Conservancy focuses on helping families prepare their children for a lifetime of success. We support families raising children by delivering quality early education initiatives, parenting education and resources, mental health counseling and asset building anti-poverty programs. By supporting families to create nurturing, enriching learning environments for their children, we are building a bright future for our community for generations to come. Programs have evolved since our founding in 1880 as the needs of families and our community have evolved. Yet there is constancy in our purpose to deliver education and opportunity for families to help them raise children to achieve lifelong success. Our parenting education, mental health services, Child Care Resource and Referral, and anti-poverty programs are offered in English and in Spanish. Our services reflect local communities and The Family Conservancy core values: accountability; continuous quality improvement; customer focus; honesty and integrity; inclusiveness and diversity; making a difference; and respect.

Dean Olson was named President and CEO in December 2014. He previously served as a Vice President for The Family Conservancy for 13 years. He initially joined The Family Conservancy in 1993 and previous positions include: Clinical Social Worker and Director of Operations for Children's Services. Dean holds a master's degree in Social Work from the University of Kansas (1993); master's in Public Administration from UMKC (2004); and is a graduate of the Executive Leadership Institute through the Alliance for Children & Families and the University of Michigan.

Experience/BiographyIn current role since 2001. Previous positions include: Christian Foundation for Children & Aging, Director of Finance; Johnson County Finance Department; Sr. Accountant; University of Kansas Medical Center Research Institute, Assistant Director. Education: MBA Finance Rockhurst College, 1982; BSBA Accounting, Kansas State University; Certified Public Accountant, Kansas and Missouri; graduate of the Executive Leadership Institute through the Alliance for Children & Families and the University of Michigan.

In current role since 2012. Previous positions include: IAC Group/Plateau Group, Senior Sales Development Specialist; IAC Group, Professional Sales Advisor; Education: BA Spanish and International Studies, 2004. Member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Experience/BiographyPaula Neth is currently Vice President of Programs at The Family Conservancy. Paula has over twenty years of experience in child care resource and referral (CCR&R) at both the state and local level. Through her various roles, she brings experience in quality rating and improvement systems, professional development and career management systems for early educators, as well as early education systems building through strategic partnerships. Paula currently serves on boards of Child Care Aware of America and Child Care Aware of Missouri. She is also the chair of the Partners in Quality, Quality Enhancement Technical Work Group and on the Quality Review Commission for the Kansas City Early Learning Commission. Paula holds a master’s degree in Elementary Education-Early Childhood Education.

Staff

Paid Full-Time Staff81

Paid Part-Time Staff10

Volunteers450

Paid Contractors5

Retention Rate85%

Formal Evaluations

CEO Formal EvaluationYes

CEO/Executive Formal Evaluation FrequencyAnnually

Senior Management Formal EvaluationYes

Senior Management Formal Evaluation FrequencyAnnually

Non-Management Formal EvaluationYes

Non-Management Formal Evaluation FrequencyAnnually

Plans & Policies

Organization Has a Fundraising PlanYes

Organization Has a Strategic PlanYes

Management Succession PlanYes

Organization Policy and ProceduresYes

Nondiscrimination PolicyYes

Whistleblower PolicyYes

Document Destruction PolicyYes

Collaborations

The Family Conservancy could not execute our mission without valuable community partnerships. Our partners and collaborators, including referral agencies, are in the hundreds. Some key partnerships include: Mid America Regional Council (MARC)/Metropolitan Council on Early Learning (MCEL), the Office of Head Start, Child Care Aware of America, University of Kansas/Juniper Gardens, Project Eagle, City of Kansas City Missouri, Unified Government of Wyandotte County, United Way of Wyandotte County, USD 500, United Way of Greater Kansas City, Children’s Mercy Hospital, KC Community Gardens, Local Investment Commission (LINC), United Community Services (UCS), Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, area child care providers and early educators, and so many more.

Affiliations

Affiliation

Year

AFP (Association of Fundraising Professionals)

2008

Alliance for Children and Families - Member

1990

Council of Accreditation of Child and Family Services, Inc.

1987

National Association of Social Workers

1955

United Way Member Agency

1963

External Assessment and Accreditations

Assessment/Accreditation

Year

Council on Accreditation (COA) [for Children and Family Services] - Accreditation

Greater Kansas City Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration

2017

Government Licenses

Is your organization licensed by the government?Yes

CEO CommentsThe Family Conservancy has an active policy-setting board of directors – currently with 20+ members – and standing committees that meet each month to review financial information and monitor progress in implementing the Strategic Plan. Executive management works in partnership with the CEO and board members on strategic planning and in assessing opportunities and challenges. Program leadership interacts with committees and presents at each board meeting. We continue working to capitalize on the talents and resources of our directors and to diversify board membership to represent those we serve.

The Family Conservancy has an active policy-setting board of directors, with 20+ members, and standing committees which meet each month to review financial information and monitor progress in implementing the strategic plan. Executive management works in partnership with the CEO and board members on strategic planning and in assessing opportunities and challenges. Program leadership interacts with committees and presents at each board meeting. We continue working to capitalize on the talents and resources of our directors and to diversify board membership to represent those we serve.

The Family Conservancy provides excellent fiscal management and stewardship of all investments in our mission. Financial vigilance by the board of directors – including the Finance committee and the Head Start Oversight committee – as well as staff, insures our fiscal health, stability, transparency and continued high quality service to children and families.